Adjustable pattern water sprinkler system

ABSTRACT

In order to accommodate odd shaped areas to be sprinkled, an impulse sprinkler is supported by apparatus which permits tilting the impulse sprinkler from the vertical in any radial direction. As a result, the sprinkler pattern is altered from a circle (or portion of a circle) to an ellipse-like (or portion thereof) shape.

United States Patent [191 -Warren 1 Feb. 12, 1974 1 ADJUSTABLE PATTERNWATER SPRINKLER SYSTEM 21 1 Appl. No.: 298,402

[52] US. Cl 239/256, 239/DIG. 1, 239/261, 239/265, 239/587 [51] Int. ClB0511 3/06, B05b 15/04 [58] Field 01' Search... 239/251, 252, 253, 256,261, 239/264, 265, 587, 97, DIG. 1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,047,240 7/1962 Lent239/265 2,406,941 9/1946 Brooks 239/587 X 1,716,305 6/1929 Dillman239/265 X 1,758,115 5/1930 Kelly 239/587 X 1,796,942 3/1931 lPottenger239/DIG. 1 2,342,757 2/1944 Roser 239/587 X 2,620,231 12/1952King....'.. 239/265 X 3,099,393 7/1963 Lent 239/97 3,193,203 7/1965 Crow239/251 X 3,441,222 4/1969 Law 239/587 X 3,667,673 6/1972 Knudsen239/256 X FOREIGN PATENTS O R APPLICATIONS 1,082,441 6/1954 France239/587 Primary ExaminerRobert S. Ward, Jr. Attorney, Agent, orFirmCahill, Sutton & Thomas [5 7] ABSTRACT In order to accommodate oddshaped areas to be sprinkled, an impulse sprinkler is supported byapparatus which permits tilting the impulse sprinkler from the verticalin any radial direction. As a result, the sprinkler pattern is alteredfrom a circle (or portion of a circle) to an ellipse-like (or portionthereof) shape.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE PATTERN WATER SPRINKLER SYSTEMThis invention relates to sprinkler devices and, more particularly, to asprinkler system including means for selectively controlling the waterdistribution pattern.

A well known and reliable type of sprinkler is generally known as animpulse sprinkler. Impulse sprinklers have an inherently circulardistribution pattern, and many impulse sprinklers are fitted withlimiting and reversing means whereby the pattern is altered to a sectionof a circle across which the water is dispensed in reciprocating sweeps.

Most lawn areas, however, are neither circular or sections of a circlein shape. As a result, a choice must be made between inadequate wateringof certain areas or the distribution of excess water in areas which neednot be watered in order to insure coverage of the primary areas. Thenatural choice is the latter which results in not only inconvenience butalso significant water waste. In many arid regions, such water waste isvirtually intolerable.

Many efforts have been made toward developing sprinklers which willcover only certain irregular shapes. While some of these efforts haveproduced useful systems, they have generally resulted in expensive andrelatively unreliable apparatus.

It is therefore a broad object of my invention to provide improvedsprinkling apparatus capable of being adjusted to a variety ofdistribution patterns.

It is another object of my invention to provide such apparatus whichutilizes, as a component, a simple and reliable sprinkler head wellknown in the art.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide means foraltering the distribution pattern of such a sprinkler head fromcircular, or part circular, to an elliptical-like, or portion thereof,pattern, which elliptical-like pattern may be varied according to itsmajor and minor axes.

The subject matter of the invention is particularly pointed out anddistinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. Theinvention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, maybest be understood with reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the system according to my present invention showingone of many positions which the sprinkler head may assume;

FIG. 2 illustrates a component of the system of FIG. 1 which permitsangular adjustment of the sprinkler head;

FIG. 3 illustrates generally the effect on the angle of water emissionof the apparatus in two different angular positions; and

FIG. 4 is a polar diagram illustrating one family of curves'representingthe various distribution patterns which can be achieved by orienting theapparatus at successively'different angular positions along one radialline and also certain irregular areas which can be accommodated bycontrolling the angular sweep of the sprinkler head.

Referring now to FIG. 1, it will be observed that a stand 1 is providedwith a right angle fitting 2 permanently fixed to a central portion ofthe stand. An internally threaded coupler 3 on the horizontal part ofthe fitting 2 receives an externally threaded end of a'hose 4 in theusual fashion. A swivel coupling 5 fits into the vertical opening of theright angle fitting 2, and the upper end of the swivel coupling 5receives a sprinkler head 6 which may be of the well known impulse typenormally having a circular distribution pattern and also adjustable tosweep only a section of the circle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the swivel coupling 5 is preferably of the ball andseat type in which the upper portion 7 terminates at its lower end in asphere-like ball element 8 which pivots about a seat 9 within a lowerportion 10 of the coupling 5. A seal 11 is held in place by a cap member12 which servesto hold the upper and lower portions of the assembly 5together. With this arrangement, the sprinkler head 6 (FIG. 1) may betilted in any radial direction from the vertical by an amount limitedonly by the clearance between the upper and lower portions of thecoupling 5.

FIG. 3 illustrates the effect on the angle at which the water issuesfrom the sprinkler head 6 as it is tilted slightly to the left andsomewhat more to the right in a plane. In the position indicated by thenumeral 6', the stream to the left 13 has an angle of less than 45 withrespect to the horizontal whereas the stream to the right 14 slightlyexceeds 45. Similarly, but more pronounced in the position indicated bythe numeral 6", the stream to the right 15 has a shallower angle withrespect to the horizontal then the stream 13, and the stream to the left16 more nearly approaches the vertical than the stream 14, the morepronounced deviation from the normal pattern resulting from the position6" being tilted more fromthe vertical than the position 6'.

FIG. 4 provides a graphic demonstration of the wide variety of patternswhich can be achieved by merely tilting the sprinkler head 6 along asingle line 17, orienting the head 6 in specific directions, andcontrolling its angular distribution in the normal fashion. Thus, if thehead 6 is positioned in the normal vertical position, an areaencompassed by the circle 18 may be covered, or any section of the samemay be covered by appropriate adjustments to the angular distributionsetting of the sprinkler head 6.

By tilting the sprinkler head 6 back along the line 17, the ellipse-likearea circumscribed by the line 19 is available, and, by way of example,the area indicated by the cross-hatching 20 may be covrered by adjustingthe sprinkler head 6 to give a l distribution limited along the line 21.

By tilting the sprinkler head 6 still further back, the area enclosed bythe ellipse-like line 22 is available, and the odd shaped areaidentified by the crosshatching 23 may be covered by appropriatelyorienting the sprinkler head 6 and setting it for 45 angulardistribution, the angle between the limit lines 24 and 25.

Consider now that the sprinkler head 6 may be tilted to an infinitenumber of positions between the limits dictated by the physicalconfiguration of the swivel coupling 5 and in any desired radialdirection, and further that many sprinkler heads may be adjusted to anynumber of angular distributions, and it will become apparent thatvirtually any odd shaped area may be effectively covered with verylittle water being wasted upon area which need not be sprinkled. Asprinkler head which has been found particularly well adapted to thepresent invention by virtue of its infinitely variable angulardistribution pattern is marketed under the registered trademark RAINBIRD, model designation 25 P- .l-DA.

FIG. 1 depicts a portable apparatus. Those skilled in the artvwillunderstand, of course, that permanent installations can be similarlyadapted by utilizing an equivalent of the swivelcoupling 5.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear in anillustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to thoseskilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement,proportions, the elements, materials, and components, used in thepractice of the invention which are particularly adapted for specificenvironments and operating requirements without departing from thoseprinciples.

I claim:

I. In a sprinkler system including a sprinkler head for automaticallydistributing a discontinuous stream of water through a predetermined arcin response to the flow of water, the sprinkler head being provided withmeans for adjusting the angular distribution of water issuing therefrom,said sprinkler head further including support means for the sprinklerhead, the improvement comprising in combination:

swivel coupling means disposed between the support means and thesprinkler head for altering the axis of the sprinkler head, saidcoupling means being the sole element necessary to support and tomaintain the sprinkler head in alignment with a predetermined axis;whereby, an odd shaped distribution pattern may be achieved by tiltingsaid swivel coupling, and hence the sprinkler head, from the verticaland adjusting the angular distribution of the sprinkler head.

2. The sprinkler system set forth in claim 1 wherein said swivelcoupling means comprises:

1. In a sprinkler system including a sprinkler head for automaticallydistributing a discontinuous stream of water through a predetermined arcin response to the flow of water, the sprinkler head being provided withmeans for adjusting the angular distribution of water issuing therefrom,said sprinkler head further including support means for the sprinklerhead, the improvement comprising in combination: swivel coupling meansdisposed between the support means and the sprinkler head for alteringthe axis of the sprinkler head, said coupling means being the soleelement necessary to support and to maintain the sprinkler head inalignment with a predetermined axis; whereby, an odd shaped distributionpattern may be achieved by tilting said swivel coupling, and hence thesprinkler head, from the vertical and adjusting the angular distributionof the sprinkler head.
 2. The sprinkler system set forth in claim 1wherein said swivel coupling means comprises: a. a sphere-like ballelement secured to the base of the sprinkler head, said ball elementincluding a passageway extending therethrough and communicating with theinternal cavity of the sprinkler head; b. an apertured seat disposedwithin the support means for receiving said ball element; and c. anapertured cap enclosing said ball element and securing said ball elementto said apertured seat; whereby, water will flow through said ballelement from the support means and into the sprinkler head.